Portable tray or truck.



No. 886,537. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

A. O. MoNIVEN.

PORTABLE TRAY 0B. TRUCK. I

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1907.

WWW Alexander WE NTOR I v By v r I ,1

' I ATTORNEY;

UNITE ALEXANDER C. MCNIVEN, OF LANGDON, NORTH DAKOTA.

PORTABLE TRAY OR TRUCK.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALEXANDER G. M0- NIVEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Langdon, in the county of Cavalier and State ofNorth Dakota, have invented a new and useful Portable Tray or Truck, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable trucks or trays of that general classespecially designed for use in hotels, restaurants, hospitals andsimilar places and has for its object to provide a comparatively simpleand inexpensive deivce of this character for carrying cutlery, dishesand. other table articles from the dining room to the kitchen or fortransporting the same from one portion of the building to the other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a truck including aframe adapted to receive the dish supporting tray and provided withdepending wheels or rollers one of which is pivotally mounted on theframe so that the operator may readily guide the truck when transportingthe latter from place to place.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve thisclass of devices so as to generally increase their utility, durabilityand efliciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions andminordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

1n the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable tray or truck constructedin accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the front fork of the truck.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved truck forming the subject matter of the present inventionincludes a substantially rectangular supporting frame preferably formedof gas pipe and consisting of parallel side members 5 connected to theend members 6 through the medium of corner couplings 7, the latter beingthreaded for the reception of the correspondingly threaded ends of theside and end members of the frame, as shown.

The rear coupling members are provided with depending collars orextensions 8, the lnterior walls of which are threaded for con-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1907.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Serial No. 381,474.

nection with supporting legs 9, the latter also being preferably formedof gas pipe and having their lower ends bifurcated to form spaced arms10 between which are mounted on suitable stub shafts 11 wheels orrollers 12.

The forward end bar or member 6 is provided with an intermediatecoupling 13 for connection with the adjacent ends of the member 6, andthreaded in said coupling is a relatively short pipe section 14 in whichis pivotally mounted the front fork 15 carrying a wheel 16 similar inconstruction to the rear wheels 12. The fork 15 is provided with areduced extension which projects vertically through the pipe section 14and coupling member 13 and is provided with terminal threads forengagement with a retaining cap 17. The lower end of the pi e section 14is offset to form a race Way for the reception of a pluralityofantifriction balls while the intermediate coupling 13 is provided withsimilar race Way and antifriction balls thereby to permit free turningmovement of the front fork 15 and the adjacent wheel 16 so that theoperator may readily guide the truck when transporting the latter fromplace to place.

Associated with the frame is a removable tray or pan 18 having itsperipheral edge curved laterally to form an over-hanging retainingflange 19 adapted to bear against the side and end members 5 and 6thereby to support the tray in position on the truck.

The pan or tray 18 is formed of metal or other suitable material whilethe interior walls thereof may be galvanized or covered with porcelainso as to permit the tray to be kept clean as well as to give the same aneat attractive appearance. The forward portion of the flange 19 is cutaway at 20 so as to accommodate the intermediate coupling 13, while thecorners of the tray are extended laterally over the adjacent cornercoupling 7 so that the flange will project a uniform distance around theentire peripheral edge of the supporting frame.

In operation the cutlery, dishes or other table articles are depositedin the tray or receptacle 18 and the latter moved into the kitchen orother portion of the building by exerting a forward pressure on the rearend of the supporting frame, the operator guiding the direction of thetruck by exerting a slight lateral pressure on either side of thesupporting frame at the rear of the latter.

By adjusting the cap 17 the pivotal movement of the front fork 15 may beregulated so as to prevent the front wheel supporting standard or forkfrom becoming loose or wabbling.

The wheels 12 and 16 are preferably provided with rubber tires so as torender the truck noiseless.

The trucks may be made in different sizes and shapes and may bejapanned, nickeled or otherwise plated to give the same a neatattractive appearance.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided anextremely simple, inexpensive and efficient device ad mirably adaptedfor the attainment of the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A portable truck including a frame formed of hollow tubing, tubularsupporting legs secured to the rear of the frame and having their lowerends bifurcated, a tubular leg depending from the front end of theframe, a fork having a reduced extension journaled in the front leg,wheels mounted for rotation in the fork and the bifurcated ends of therear legs, and a tray having a laterally extending flange. forengagement with the supporting frame.

2. A portable truck including a frame having tubular side and endmembers connected by corner couplings, collars depending from the cornercouplings at the rear of the frame and having their interior wallsthreaded, tu-

bular supporting legs engaging the threads on the collar and havingtheir lower ends bifurcated, a tubular front leg carried by the frame, afork having a reduced extension side and end bars connected by cornercoup lings, collars depending from the corner couplings at the rear ofthe frame, rear supporting legs threaded in the couplings and havingtheir lower. ends bifurcated, a coupling carried by the front bar of theframe, a front leg engaging the coupling, a fork having a reducedextension extending through the front leg and intermediate coupling andhaving its terminal portion threaded, wheels journaled in the fork andthe bifurcated ends of the rear legs, respectively, a cap engaging thethreaded end of the extension, and a tray provided with a laterallyextending flange for engagement with. the supporting frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER O. MoNIV EN.

Witnesses W. A. MOINTYRE, E. E. FLETCHER.

